Toggle linkage support



United States Patent 3,179,370 TOGGLE LINKAGE SUPPORT Gilbert D. Bailey, Mount Lebanon Township, Allegheny County, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 335,471'

6 Claims. (Cl. 248-407) This invention relates to a support for a post or a spud, such as is used on a river barge for anchoring the barge to the bottom of a river.

The particular support I have invented is intended primarily for use in holding a barge spud in its elevated position when the barge is not anchored. However, it will be seen that my invention also has application in any situation where a support is needed to restrain a vertical wall or post from downward movement with respect to a platform or other plane of reference.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple toggle linkage support for barge spuds and similar posts, that can be easily tripped and removed from the spud when the latter is to be lowered.

Another object of my invention is to provide a toggle linkage support for barge spuds which, while being capable of easy tripping, will remain securely in place when holding the spud in its raised position.

These and other objects will appear more readily from the following complete description of my invention and the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a barge equipped with spuds and linkage supports therefor;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of a toggle linkage support in its locked position and supporting a spud;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line IIIIII of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the toggle linkage support while it is being tripped;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line V-V of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the toggle linkage support in its fully tripped position.

A typical application 'of my invention is shown in FIG- URE 1, where a barge B, floating in a river, is equipped with two 'spuds S and S. Spud S is supported in its raised position by a toggle linkage support L, while toggle linkage support L is in its fully tripped position, permitting spud S to drop to the river bottom H.

In FIGURES 2 and 3, linkage support L for supporting spud S is shown in detail. Base 2 of support L is fixed to the barge deck 3. On base 2 are two vertical ears 4. A lower link 5 is pivotally mounted between these cars by means of a pin .6. An upper link 10 is in turn pivotally secured'to the upper end of lower link 5 by pin 11.

Ears 4 have aligned square openings 14 therein through which slides a wedge member 15, best seen in FIGURE 3. Lower link 5 has a shoulder 18 which rests on the top surface of this wedge member.

Wedge member has a front portion 20 of constant height connected by an inclined surface portion 21 to a head 22. By pounding on head 22 with a hammer, the wedge member may be driven through openings 14 in base 2. A locking tongue .25 is attached to the front portion 20 of wedge member 15 above and parallel to the top surface thereof. Locking tongue 25 is designed to fit through holes 26 in cars 4 and a hole 27 in lower link 5 when the shoulder 18 of lower link 5 is resting on front portion 20 of the wedge member. With the locking tongue 25 inserted in holes 26 and 27, the lower link 5 is prevented from rotating and is firmly fixed to base 2. A pin 30 is placed in wedge member 15 adjacent opening 14 in base 2 to prevent accidental forward movement of 3,179,370 Patented Apr. 20, 1965 ice the wedge member and consequent removal of locking tongue 25 from holes 26 and 27.

Upper link 10 is provided at its upper end with a weight 34 and a lug 35 having an upward facing lug surface 36. This lug is intended to be placed in a hole 37 in spud S having a downward facing surface 38. Spud S will be supported by the upward facing lug surface 36 of lug 35 bearing against the downward facing surface 38 on the spud.

Linkage support L is designed so that when shoulder 18 of link 5 rests on front portion 20 of wedge member 15, the axis of pin 11 will be either on straight line XX or between straight line XX and the spud S. Straight line X-X is defined as a line between the axis of pin 6 and the area of contact between lug surface 36 of lug 35 and surface 38 of spud S. With the axis of pin 11 so placed with respect to straight line XX, link 5 will have its shoulder 18 resting firmly on wedge member 15, and will have no tendency to rotate counterclockwise (as viewed in FIGURE 2) due to the weight of spud S on lug 35, transmitted to link 5 through pin 11 and link 10. The presence of locking tongue 25, inserted through holes 26 and 27 in cars 4 and link 5 respectively, will further insure against the rotation of link 5. With these conditions met, linkage support L will provide a firm support for spud S. p

When pin 30 is removed from wedge member 15 and the wedge member moved forward through openings 14, as bya hammer blow on head 22, locking tongue 25 will be removed from holes 26 and 27 in ears4 and link 5,

3 and inclined surface 21 of wedge 15 will push shoulder 18 upward, causing a counterclockwise rotation of lower link 5 as seen in FIGURE 4. This rotation of link 5 will move pin 11 to the side of line X-X opposite spud S (FIG- URE 4). The weight of spud S, transmitted through lug 35, upper link 10 and pin .11, will then result in a force on link 5 that will cause the link to continue to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 5; Linkage support L will thereby collapse to the position shown in FIGURE 6, and allow spud S to drop to the river bottom. This collapse is further aided by the downward force of weight 34.

Linkage L may be reset to support the spud by rotating link 5 back to its original position shown in FIGURE 2, with shoulder 18 resting on wedge member 15. Wedge member 15 is then moved back to its original position, best seen in FIGURE 3, with front portion 20 supporting shoulder 18 6f link 5, and locking tongue 25 inserted in holes 26 and 27 of ears 4 and link 5 respectively. Pin 30 is inserted in wedge member 15 to prevent accidental forward movement of the wedge member. Then, upper link 10 is rotated toward spud S until lug 35 contacts the wall of the spud. Spud S is raised to the point where the lug 35 can be inserted in hole 37. The spud S will .then be supported on lug 35, and linkage support L will act as a firm brace against the downward movement of the spud.

While I have thus shown and described my invention, various changes and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a horizontal platform and a vertically movable post having an opening in its side wall, a support for said post comprising a base fixed to said platform adjacent said post, a first link, means pivotally connecting one end of said first link to said base, a second link, means pivotally connecting one end of said second link to the other end of said first link, a lug on said second link adapted to be received in said opening, said base having a horizontal opening therein between said post and said first named pivot connection, a wedge member in said horizontal opening movable in a horizontal direction, said wedge member having an inclined top portion, and a shoulder on said first named link adapted to be supported by the top surface of said wedge member 2. In combination with "a horizontal platform and a vertically movable post-having a downward facing surface located in its side Wall, a toggle linkage support for restraining said post from moving downward with respect to said platform comprising, a pair of links pivotally connected together at a first pivot point, the upper of said links having an upward facing lug surface in contact with said downward facing surface in said post wall, a base fixed to said platform near said post and having the lower of said pair of links pivotally connected thereto at a second pivot point, saidbase having an opening in its side between said second pivot point and said post, a wedge member in said opening movable in ahorizontal direction, said wedgemember having an inclined top portion, and a shoulder on the lower of said links adapted to besupported by the top surface of said wedge member, said shoulder being cammed upward by said inclined portion of said wedge member moving forward through said opening, and said, shoulder thereby being raised from a position wherein said linkage firmly supports said postto a position wherein said linkage collapses. and permits said post to move downward. f

p 3. In combination with a horizontal platform and a vertically'movable post having a downward facing surface located inits side wall, a toggle linkage support for restraining'said post from moving downward with respect to said platform comprising, a pair of links pivotally connected together at a first pivot point, the upper of said links having an upward facing lug surface in contact withtsaid downward facing surface in said post Wall, 'a

base fixed to said platform near said post and having the lower of said pair of links pivotally connected thereto at a second pivot point, said base having an opening in its side between said second pivot point and said post, a wedge member in said opening movable in a horizontal direction, said wedge member having an inclined top surface, and a'shoulder on the lower of said links adapted to be supported bysaid top surface of said wedge memher, said shoulder being raised by forward movement of said wedge member through said opening, the shoulder of said lower link in its lowermost position on said top surface of said wedge member causing said first pivot point to berbetween said post and a straight line between said second pivot point and the area of contact between said upward facing lug surface and said post, and the shoulder of said lower link when raised causing said first pivot point to be on the side of said straight line opposite said post.

upward facing lug surface in contact with said downward,

facing surface of said post wall, a base fixed to said platform near said post and having the lower of said pair of links pivotally connected thereto at a second pivot point, said base having an opening at its side between said second pivot point and said post, a wedge member in said opening movable in a horizontaldirection, said wedge member having a front portion of constant height and a rear portion of increasing height with an inclined top surface, and a shoulder on the lower of said links adapted to be Supported by said wedge member, said shoulder being in its most downward position when supported on said front portion of the wedge member, and said shoulder being raised by the forward movement of said inclined top surface of the wedge member through said opening, the shoulder of said lower link in its lowermost position causing said first'pivot point to be between said post and a straight line between said second pivot point and the area of contact between said upward facing lug surface and said post, and the shoulder of said lower link when raised causing said first pivot point to be on the side of said straight line opposite said post. a

5. The linkage support of claim 4 wherein said base has a first hole, said lower link has a second hole which lines up with said first hole in the base when the shoulder of said lower link is in its most downward position, and said wedge member is provided with a locking tongue supported above said front portion of constant height, said locking tongue passing through said holes when they are lined up and being withdrawn from said aligned holes by the forward movement of said wedge member through said opening in the base.

6. The linkage support of claim 5 wherein said wedge member has a removable pin placed in said wedge member adjacent said opening in the base when said front portion is passing through said opening'and said locking tongue is passing through said aligned holes, thereby preventing the passage of said inclined top surface of the wedge member into said opening and the withdrawal of said locking tongue from said aligned holes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNIT ED STATES PATENTS 85,598 Lewis Jan. 5, 1869 808,072 Crandall Dec. 26, 1905 1,807,041 Lingal Nov. 26, 1931 2,335,266 Ellaby et al Nov. 30, 1943 2,436,941 Sendoykas Mar. 2, 1948 CLAUDE. A. .LE ,RYOY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATON WITH A HORIZONTAL PLATFORM AND A VERTICALLY MOVABLE POST HAVING AN OPENING IN ITS SIDE WALL, A SUPPORT FOR SAID POST COMPRISING A BASE FIXED TO SAID PLATFORM ADJACENT SAID POST, A FIRST LINK, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID FIRST LINK TO SAID BASE, A SECOND LINK, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID SECOND LINK TO THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST LINK, A LUG ON SAID SECOND LINK ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN SAID OPENING, SAID BASE HAVING A HORIZONTAL OPENING THEREIN BETWEEN SAID POST AND SAID FIRST NAMED PIVOT CONNECTION, A WEDGE MEMBER IN SAID HORIZONTAL OPENING MOVABLE IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION, SAID WEDGE MEMBER HAVING AN INCLINED TOP PORTION, AND A SHOULDER ON SAID FIRST NAMED LINK ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID WEDGE MEMBER WHEN SAID LUG IS IN SAID POST OPENING WHEREBY SAID LINKAGE IS LOCKED IN POSITION, SAID SHOULDER BEING CAMMED UPWARD BY SAID INCLINED PORTION OF SAID WEDGE MEMBER MOVING FORWARD THROUGH SAID HORIZONTAL OPENING TO RAISE SAID SHOULDER TO A POSITION WHEREIN SAID LINKAGE COLLAPSES AND PERMITS SAID POST TO MOVE DOWNWARD. 